Lokayukta forms team to probe Muda’s 50:50 scheme

Mysuru: More than 25% of the 1,055 sites disposed of under the controversial 50:50 scheme by Mysore Urban Development Authority (Muda) are in the upscale Vijayanagar layout in west Mysuru. Lokayukta police have formed a team to probe the matter and are waiting for tje court copy.
These are premium sites and fetch much more money than the land acquired by the urban development body. A site in Vijayanagar III and IV stages sells for a minimum of Rs 80 lakh at the market price. Muda, which acquired land to form Vijayanagar layouts in the 1990s, gave away unallotted sites to influential persons under the scheme.
Under the scheme, 50% of developed sites are given to landowners for every piece of land obtained by Muda to develop a new layout. According to the rules, the sites have to be given in their land, but the authorities of the urban development body have thrown these rules to the wind to benefit the influential.
Apart from Vijayanagar, developed sites in JP Nagar, Nachanahalli-Koppalur, and Lalithadripura are given to landowners. According to an earlier investigation, about 135 owners/GPA holders and farmers who parted with their lands for new layout development benefited under the scheme.
Sources claim elected representatives also benefited under the scheme.
Lokayukta superintendent of police, Mysuru, TJ Udesha, the investigation officer, confirmed to TOI that a team of SP, DSP, and four inspectors would investigate the matter. Police are waiting for a certified court copy, according to the investigation officer.
Earlier, the agency probed the allotment of 14 sites given to BM Parvathi, wife of CM Siddaramaiah. Now, the court has allowed a full-scale probe into the entire scam. Although it was initially claimed that Muda allotted around 4,000 sites under the scheme, the Lokayukta's report in Feb stated that only 1,055 sites were allotted.